IX. Graduate Programs

International Development Studies

Collaborative PhD Program

The collaborative PhD program in International Development Studies (IDS) provides an opportunity for advanced students to engage with interdisciplinary development theories and to conduct research on international development issues based on approaches of selected academic disciplines. The PhD program in IDS is undertaken jointly with a discipline-based degree. Students enter IDS through a collaborating department with a PhD program. At present these include Sociology; Political Science; Population Medicine, Geography; Food, Agricultural and Resource Economics; Economics; History; Engineering; Environmental Biology and Land Resource Science.

Based on the experience of faculty advisors in key collaborating departments, the program focuses on issues such as international political economy, food security, environmental dynamics and governance, gender inequality, rural development, long-term economic change, and other interdisciplinary cutting-edge topics in international development.

Admission Requirements

To be considered for admission, an applicant must have a recognized Bachelor's degree and a Master's degree in a relevant discipline or related interdisciplinary field. Applicants to the collaborative IDS program must meet the specific departmental admission requirements, which vary from one department to another. For information on the admission requirements and application deadlines of your selected department, please contact the relevant department directly.

In addition to the specific departmental admission requirements, applicants are expected to have a strong background in the social sciences a demonstrable track record of experience in the course-based study of development issues, development research and/or development practice and a stated research interest relating to international development.

Degree Requirements

Students complete requirements for the departmental degree as well as the IDS components which consist of two core courses, including an interdisciplinary course on theories and debates in development and a course on development research and practice. While the students have to successfully complete these courses to remain in the collaborative IDS program, they do not have to pass a separate qualifying examination in addition to the departmental qualifying exam. Furthermore, the expectation is that the IDS students’ PhD research will bridge two or more disciplines in a way that relates to the field of IDS.

For further information regarding course offering, please contact the IDS Graduate Program Assistant.

IDS PhD Core Courses

IDEV*6800 [0.50] Theories and Debates in Development
IDEV*6850 [0.50] Development Research and Practice

Departmental PhD Requirements

Departmental requirements are assigned in collaboration with the student's home department. See respective departmental web pages.

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